The author of the text reflects on the challenges and lessons learned during the development and release of Forma 36 v4, an open-source design system for Contentful's API. The team faced obstacles such as unexpected choices and surprises that required spontaneity and experimentation. They overcame these challenges by adopting a compound pattern approach to component design, improving accessibility, performance, and developer experience. The release process involved creating a new package with a beta tag, testing with internal users, migrating applications piece by piece, and providing codemods and migration guides for external users. The author emphasizes the importance of having a dedicated team, planning ahead, and investing time and resources in making the transition between versions as smooth as possible for users. They highlight the value of tools like jsCodeshift and encourage users to share their experiences and feedback.